Movies

Despicable Me 4
Trailer: Universal Pictures/Illumination

Despicable Me 4
Directed by Chris Renaud and Patrick Delage
Rated PG
Spied 3 July 2024
#DM4

Gru, his army of Minions and their manic sense of humor still know how to entertain.

Everybody Wants to Rule the World

Okay. It’s not the best of the series, but this mash-up of super spies and superheroes keeps the action cruising along thanks to a multi-threaded storyline and a scattershot, spitball approach to humor that virtually guarantees even if any given joke falls flat (a strange martial arts dojo sequence comes to mind) there’ll be another one to compensate in Minion-short order.

In DM4, Gru (Steve Carell, The Office) must confront challenges on many fronts. There’s his infant son, who can’t stand his father but absolutely adores his mama. And there’s a flashy-dressing French villain, Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy), Gru’s arch enemy dating back to the ninth grade. Yeah. Things got ugly early between the two, and it all revolves around a karaoke performance of Boy George’s Karma Chameleon.

Old grudges die hard and the nefarious Maxime, who’s escaped from the Anti-Villain League’s prison, has a disturbing plan: kidnap Gru’s son and turn him into a minion of his own breed. A disgusting breed.

Throw in the antics of the Minions and that should be a full dance card. But there’s more. With news of Maxine’s escape, Gru’s instantly sent to an AVL safe house in the super-rich, super-snobby town of Mayflower.

There, Gru meets yet another challenge: a neighbor’s teenage daughter, Poppy Prescott (Joey King, Bullet Train), has her own big dreams of becoming a super villain. Her tree house. Her cat. Everything about Poppy reeks of pure evil. And pink. Lots of pink.

This kid is bad to the bone. She enlists Gru (via blackmail) to help her in an audacious heist: to steal the Lycee Pas Bon’s mascot, Lenny the honey badger. Lycee Pas Bon? That’s the School of Villainy. The one-and-the-same institution of wicked learning which saw the birth of Gru and Maxine’s rivalry all those many years ago. And, because nothing can ever be easy for Gru, that heist, which was intended to introduce Poppy to all sorts of nifty new tricks and gadgets, instead devolves into a MacGyver-like episode of baby bottles, diapers, baby powder and safety pins.

The Fantastic Five

There are several elements that fuel the Despicable Me series.

Of course, there are the Minions. They show up strong in this episode. Actually, that’s literally the case this time around, thanks to five unsuspecting Minions being volunteered for an experiment. They become the Mega Minions. But strength, well, it’s not their strong suit. Even in yellow stretchy super suits, it’s not their suit.

Part of the charm of this fourth installment is how seemingly effortless the cleverness unfolds. There’s a terrific montage of super hero antics (think about Christopher Reeve in Superman: The Movie. After he is endowed with the awareness of his Kryptonian roots, he goes on a superhero binge: saving an airplane in a lightning storm, rescuing a cat in a tree, stopping a burglar on a New York skyscraper and, of course, rescuing Lois Lane from certain doom as she falls from the roof of the Daily Planet.

Here, the Minions go through a series of heroics. They seem to almost nail it. Then everything goes south. So south, they’re instantly retired.

But even that’s merely the setup for another joke. As Gru and Maxime (and Poppy and Lenny) duke it out, the Mega Minions are abruptly called out of retirement. But they’re spread out all over the planet. Each with a unique setting. Each with a... umm... unique following.

It’s great stuff.

The Minions don’t disappoint. And that includes a running joke about a Minion hopelessly stuck in a vending machine. Oh. And there’s an ingenious Minion pit crew that helps Gru with essential tasks like changing diapers and strapping in children’s safety seats.

Keep Calm and Be Nasty

But the series’ winning ways extends beyond the Minions.

There’s a solid family thread here. Gru’s youngest daughter, Agnes, can warm the coldest heart with her innocence that serves as a foil to Gru’s manipulative mindset. And sometimes Agnes flat-out foils Gru’s plans.

And, in keeping with the James Bond-esque roots of the series, there are plenty of nifty new gadgets and outlandish vehicles. As this one plays with Marvel (at one point, an average citizen yells out, "I’m sick of superheroes!") it also channels a little bit of Men In Black, Harry Potter, Terminator and even some Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. And it also has a special place for ‘80s pop tunes.

Much like Pixar’s Inside Out 2, Despicable Me 4 relishes in the advancements of CGI animation. It’s a hoot seeing the immaculate detail put into the visuals, including the honeycomb texture of the Mega Minions’ super suits that mimics the fabric used in modern superhero costumes, such as Peter Parker’s spiffy Spidey suit. It’s a nice touch, especially since it goes so well with those denim overalls.

The visuals. The slapstick. The heart. The Minions. As Despicable Me 4 finds it Gruve, it proves sometimes simply having a good time at the movies is enough.

• Originally published at MovieHabit.com.

In Pursuit of the New Bohemia:  Truth • Beauty • Freedom • Love
"Serving the PRM and Its Territories Worldwide Since 3 July 2000"
Site Contents Copyright © MM - MMXXIV, Matthew Anderson, Unless Otherwise Noted
Privacy policy